JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Students will be walking, biking and riding the bus Monday as summer vacation comes to an official close. Now is the time to get back in the habit of sharing the road with students.
Our crime and safety analyst Gil Smith was a school resource officer and said drivers need to pay extra attention, especially during peak morning and afternoon hours.
"These kids are not always going to cross at the proper place,” Smith said. “Sometimes they may be playing with each other, back and forth. They may step out into the street. You really need to be looking for kids."
This means reducing speed and knowing where the school zones are. Smith said it's also important to understand that not all school zones have a flashing light, so drivers need to pay attention.
"When I was a police officer, I would see people look in their rearview mirror and they would see me behind them, but they would still speed through a school zone because they just didn't notice the sign," Smith said.
More school buses will also be back on the road. If you see a school bus with its stop lights blinking and stop signs showing, there’s no ifs, ands or buts about it: drivers caught passing one could look at a serious fine.
There’s something else to keep in mind -- things are different on a divided highway, and drivers have been confused in the past.
"They don't need to stop if there is a concrete divider or an unpaved road that is at least five feet in width," Smith said.
For people who find themselves getting frustrated with school bus wait times, Smith said plan to start your commute a little earlier.
And remember, kids are out and about in the neighborhoods. Don't be in too big of a hurry.